A correlative study of alkaline phosphatase and calcium in osteoarthritis patients

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disorder characterized by progressive cartilage breakdown and altered bone metabolism. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and serum calcium levels in patients with osteoarthritis and to compare these parameters with those of healthy controls to identify deviations from normal biochemical values. A total of 100 osteoarthritis patients (61% male and 39% female), aged 45 years and above, attending the outpatient department of Teaching Hospital Shahdara were included in the study. Serum samples were analyzed for ALP activity and calcium concentration using standard biochemical methods. The results demonstrated significantly elevated serum ALP activity in osteoarthritis patients, while serum calcium levels were comparatively reduced. An inverse correlation was observed between serum ALP activity and serum calcium levels. These findings suggest that alterations in ALP and calcium metabolism are associated with osteoarthritis progression. Measurement of serum ALP and calcium may serve as simple, cost-effective biochemical biomarkers for assessing disease severity in patients with osteoarthritis.